United States senators have introduced a bill designed to prevent President Donald Trump from seizing the territory of fellow NATO members, including Greenland, the self-governing Danish island.
The bipartisan proposal, known as the NATO Unity Protection Act, was introduced on Tuesday and would prohibit the Departments of Defense and State from using federal funds to “blockade, occupy, annex, or otherwise assert control” over the territory of any NATO member state.
The bill, sponsored by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Lisa Murkowski, comes amid growing concern over Trump’s repeated statements that Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, should come under U.S. control, even by force if necessary.
In a statement, Shaheen said the legislation makes clear that U.S. taxpayer money cannot be used for actions that would undermine NATO or violate America’s commitments to the alliance. She added that the rhetoric surrounding Greenland threatens U.S. national security interests and has drawn bipartisan opposition in Congress.
Murkowski, a frequent Republican critic of Trump who represents Alaska, described NATO’s 32-member alliance as the strongest defence against efforts to destabilise global peace. She said the idea of the United States using its resources against its allies was deeply troubling and must be firmly rejected by Congress.
Jessica Peake, an international law and laws of war expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she hoped the bill would gain broad congressional support. She noted that, if passed, it could help restrain unilateral presidential action that threatens NATO relations, although she cautioned that Trump has previously shown a willingness to challenge congressional authority.
Trump’s remarks about taking control of Greenland have unsettled European allies and raised fears about the future of NATO, which is founded on the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
The president has argued that control of the vast Arctic territory is vital to U.S. national security and has dismissed concerns about weakening the alliance. He has also warned that China or Russia could seek control of Greenland, which is rich in fossil fuels and critical minerals, if the United States does not act.
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